lu·gu·bri·ous

Pronunciation:
\lu̇-ˈgü-brē-əs also -ˈgyü-\

Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin lugubris, from lugēre to mourn; akin to Greek lygros mournful
Date: 1585

1: mournful ; especially : exaggeratedly or affectedly mournful
2: dismal

Source: Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary

I’m in love with this word right now – it is a real beauty. Also, I am not too proud to admit that when I first encountered this word at the Art Institute of Chicago I had absolutely no idea what it meant. The context was unclear. I found it in the description card of a Monet painting. The artist was quoted as describing the setting, the cliffs in Brittany, as “lugubrious.” Of course I furiously scribbled it down for later reference and research.

Here is the painting,Rocks at Port-Goulphar, Belle-Ile, 1886 by Claude Monet:

Source: The Art Institute of Chicago